A SHOPKEEPER in Loughborough says she was shocked to find racist abuse daubed onto the side of the building last Friday.

She says it is just the latest episode in a long line of incidents where she has been targeted by vandals.

Puja Patel, of Moor Lane Stores Limited, was alerted of the vandalism when a person came into the shop to tell her what they had seen on the wall.

Puja told the Echo: “This morning a gentleman came into the shop to tell me what was on the wall.

I know it wasn’t there the previous night. I came back from the cash and carry around 9.30pm and it wasn’t there.

“When I saw it I felt really bad. They always target me, I’m a single mother of two, I’m just trying to work hard and run the shop for my children’s education. They have also thrown dog poo onto my roof at the back and I have to clear it off.”

Puja has been at the shop for 18 years and has said she has experienced attacks during the last two years.

She said: “They have graffitied on the side of the wall before. I reported it this time because it was bad and this time it upset me.

“They want to harass and scare me so I close the shop, but there is no chance I am giving up. I have people coming to install CCTV around the shop.

“I have never seen people hanging around the shop, it could be anyone.

“They have damaged my property and my car, I now have to hide it. They can do what they want to do, I don’t care, they have no chance of winning.”

A spokesperson from Loughborough police told the Echo: “The incident was reported to us around 10.40am, and it was believed to have happened around 10pm the previous night.

“We have made an appointment for an officer to visit the shop next week to take further details.”

A Charnwood Borough Council spokesman said: “If you have been a victim of a hate incident, the best advice we can give is to make sure you report it to either us, Leicestershire County Council or Leicestershire Police.

“It doesn’t matter which service you pass it on to, as we all work in partnership to tackle this behaviour and ensure the victim gets the appropriate advice and support.

“Anybody can report a hate incident whether you are a victim, witness or third party who becomes aware of an incident.

“If we don’t know about an incident, we can’t do anything to try and tackle it.

“As a borough council, we will remove offensive graffiti within 24 hours.”